Automated Bioreactor for Co-Culture of Distinct Cell Populations
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional in-vitro culture systems are limited in their ability to efficiently co-culture multiple cell types with different culture conditions, leading to challenges in maintaining sterile environments and controlling environmental parameters, which is crucial for reliable and high-quality cell culture models.
Innovation Solution
An automated modular microfluidics-based animal-microbial co-culture system with a bioreactor assembly that allows for independent control of cell culture compartments, using a controller to manage parameters like temperature, gas exchange, and medium transport, and incorporating sensors for real-time monitoring and feedback loops to maintain desired conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional in-vitro culture systems are used, then basic cell culture is possible, but the ability to efficiently co-culture multiple cell types with different culture conditions is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the culture environment into separate compartments, each capable of maintaining different culture conditions for different cell types. This segmentation allows independent control of parameters such as temperature, gas exchange, and medium composition for each compartment, enabling efficient co-culture of multiple cell types without requiring a completely new system design.
2Productivity
If manual control of culture parameters is used, then flexibility is maintained, but productivity and efficiency are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates sensors that continuously monitor culture parameters such as pH, temperature, and gas composition, feeding this information back to a controller that automatically adjusts conditions to maintain optimal environments for different cell types. This feedback mechanism enables automated control while maintaining the flexibility needed for complex co-culture experiments.
3Reliability
If open handling of cell culture compartments is used, then ease of operation is maintained, but contamination risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs sealed compartments with integrated ports and valves that serve as intermediaries between the external environment and the sterile culture interior. These sealed interfaces allow controlled introduction of materials and monitoring of parameters without breaking the sterile barrier, thereby maintaining reliability while enabling necessary operations.
4Manufacturing precision
If integrated control of multiple parameters is implemented, then culture quality is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs a multi-functional integrated control platform that can simultaneously regulate multiple culture parameters including temperature, pH, gas exchange, and fluid flow across different compartments. This universal controller consolidates what would otherwise require separate control systems, achieving precise multi-parameter control without proportionally increasing overall device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are automated cell culture systems and related in vitro cell culture methods, including for a co-culture of different cell populations having different cell culture conditions. For example, the system may comprise a bioreactor having a plurality of cell culture compartments, the bioreactor having a fluid port fluidly connected to the plurality of cell culture compartments. A pump fluidly connected to the fluid port can provide a cell culture medium to the plurality of culture compartments. A sensor is operably connected to at least one of the plurality of cell culture compartments for measuring at least one cell culture parameter. In this manner, a controller electronically connected the pump and sensor, is configured to automatically adjust a pump flow rate and/or a cell culture gas content to provide a desired steady-state cell culture parameter for facilitating cells interactions and collection of products representative of said interactions.